Racists have free speech rights, too

By BRUCE BENSONColumnist

Published: Saturday, May 3, 2014 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, May 2, 2014 at 4:06 p.m.

During the past week, the news media have been all a-flutter about a conversation Donald Sterling, owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, had with his girlfriend. He said things like, “It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you’re associating with black people. Do you have to?”

And “You can sleep with (black people). You can bring them in, you can do whatever you want. The little I ask you is not to promote it ... and not to bring them to my games.”

And “I’m just saying, in your lousy f******* Instagrams, you don’t have to have yourself with, walking with black people.”

And “Don’t put him (Magic Johnson) on an Instagram for the world to have to see so they have to call me. And don’t bring him to my games.”

For these and other racist remarks, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver banned him from the NBA for life and fined him $2.5 million. The rest of the NBA’s owners are expected to vote soon on whether Sterling is considered no longer fit for ownership and should be forced to sell the Clippers.

Players, former players, commentators and opinion-spouters of all sorts chimed in on what a just move it was to deal with Sterling in such a manner. Barack Obama commented on it, as did Joe Biden. Even Oprah Winfrey got into the fray.

Many of the other owners of NBA teams backed Silver, with none defended Sterling, at least not publicly.

“We applaud the firm punishment handed out today by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and appreciate the swiftness with which the NBA conducted its investigation,” Golden State Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob was quoted as saying last Wednesday.

Sterling was having a private phone conversation with his girlfriend. He has a right to say whatever he wants. He can be as racist as he wants to be in a private conversation. The fact that the girlfriend, nearly 50 years younger than the 80-year-old Sterling, made that conversation public does not detract from the fact that it was a private phone conversation.

But even if it was a public statement, the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees freedom of speech. The right to say whatever one wants to say. We may not like it that freedom of speech allows the reprehensible comments from Westboro Baptist Church, or the Ku Klux Klan, or Sterling for that matter, to continue spewing, but it does.

This concept is not unique to the U.S. Constitution. Voltaire, a French writer during the Enlightenment period of the 18th century, is reputed to have said, “I may not agree with what you say, but I shall defend to the death your right to say it.” I take that to mean the silencing of one person threatens the silencing of all. Free speech is free speech.

If Sterling had made similar comments wearing a Clippers hat at a news conference, I could understand the hoopla, and Silver’s reaction. If he had made similar comments while speaking in public as a private citizen, I could understand the hoopla, but not Silver’s reaction. But since it was — need I say it again? — a private phone conversation, I can’t understand the hoopla, or Silver’s reaction.

I think I’m taking crazy pills. Maybe it’s because I’m from Canada. We never had slavery there, though I must admit we treated the Aboriginals abysmally.

Commenting from Malaysia, Barack Obama said, “The United States continues to wrestle with the legacy of race, slavery and segregation. That’s still there — the vestiges of discrimination. We’ve made enormous strides, but you’re going to continue to see this percolate up every so often. And I think that we just have to be clear and steady in denouncing it, teaching our children differently, but also remaining hopeful that part of why statements like this stand out so much is because there has been this shift in how we view ourselves.”

Sterling is a racist and a dinosaur from a bygone era. Though I must admit that in my travels around America I’ve heard a lot of racist remarks that make Sterling’s pale in comparison, that is in no way an excuse for his comments.

Sterling is a racist, and he has a right to make racist statements in private conversations just like he can have racist thoughts in his head. These are his rights, as they are the rights of every American citizen to say such things and have such thoughts, or not to.

Our right to privacy is becoming ever more important as it becomes ever more difficult to achieve, as I’m sure Sterling is lamenting right now. I can understand why none of the other owners of NBA teams has defended Sterling publicly. Voltaire would understand it, too. I’m also willing to bet those owners will be very cautious about defending Sterling in private.

I’m not sure how the Sterling/Silver affair will play out (no precious metal here), whether the Clipper owner will be forced to sell or not, or whether he can be fined for something he said in private or not. I don’t agree with what he said, but I’m defending his right to say it. I don’t want my private conversations scrutinized in public. I don’t think anybody does.

Bruce Benson is a Canadian writer and journalist who makes Hendersonville his home. Reach him at bensonusa@hotmail.com.

<p>During the past week, the news media have been all a-flutter about a conversation Donald Sterling, owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, had with his girlfriend. He said things like, “It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you're associating with black people. Do you have to?”</p><p>And “You can sleep with (black people). You can bring them in, you can do whatever you want. The little I ask you is not to promote it ... and not to bring them to my games.”</p><p>And “I'm just saying, in your lousy f******* Instagrams, you don't have to have yourself with, walking with black people.”</p><p>And “Don't put him (Magic Johnson) on an Instagram for the world to have to see so they have to call me. And don't bring him to my games.”</p><p>For these and other racist remarks, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver banned him from the NBA for life and fined him $2.5 million. The rest of the NBA's owners are expected to vote soon on whether Sterling is considered no longer fit for ownership and should be forced to sell the Clippers.</p><p>Players, former players, commentators and opinion-spouters of all sorts chimed in on what a just move it was to deal with Sterling in such a manner. Barack Obama commented on it, as did Joe Biden. Even Oprah Winfrey got into the fray.</p><p>Many of the other owners of NBA teams backed Silver, with none defended Sterling, at least not publicly.</p><p>“We applaud the firm punishment handed out today by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and appreciate the swiftness with which the NBA conducted its investigation,” Golden State Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob was quoted as saying last Wednesday.</p><p>Everyone seems upset about Sterling's clearly racist remarks, but I think there's a greater issue at stake here. A fundamental one.</p><p>Sterling was having a private phone conversation with his girlfriend. He has a right to say whatever he wants. He can be as racist as he wants to be in a private conversation. The fact that the girlfriend, nearly 50 years younger than the 80-year-old Sterling, made that conversation public does not detract from the fact that it was a private phone conversation.</p><p>But even if it was a public statement, the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees freedom of speech. The right to say whatever one wants to say. We may not like it that freedom of speech allows the reprehensible comments from Westboro Baptist Church, or the Ku Klux Klan, or Sterling for that matter, to continue spewing, but it does.</p><p>This concept is not unique to the U.S. Constitution. Voltaire, a French writer during the Enlightenment period of the 18th century, is reputed to have said, “I may not agree with what you say, but I shall defend to the death your right to say it.” I take that to mean the silencing of one person threatens the silencing of all. Free speech is free speech.</p><p>If Sterling had made similar comments wearing a Clippers hat at a news conference, I could understand the hoopla, and Silver's reaction. If he had made similar comments while speaking in public as a private citizen, I could understand the hoopla, but not Silver's reaction. But since it was — need I say it again? — a private phone conversation, I can't understand the hoopla, or Silver's reaction.</p><p>I think I'm taking crazy pills. Maybe it's because I'm from Canada. We never had slavery there, though I must admit we treated the Aboriginals abysmally.</p><p>Commenting from Malaysia, Barack Obama said, “The United States continues to wrestle with the legacy of race, slavery and segregation. That's still there — the vestiges of discrimination. We've made enormous strides, but you're going to continue to see this percolate up every so often. And I think that we just have to be clear and steady in denouncing it, teaching our children differently, but also remaining hopeful that part of why statements like this stand out so much is because there has been this shift in how we view ourselves.”</p><p>Sterling is a racist and a dinosaur from a bygone era. Though I must admit that in my travels around America I've heard a lot of racist remarks that make Sterling's pale in comparison, that is in no way an excuse for his comments.</p><p>Sterling is a racist, and he has a right to make racist statements in private conversations just like he can have racist thoughts in his head. These are his rights, as they are the rights of every American citizen to say such things and have such thoughts, or not to.</p><p>Our right to privacy is becoming ever more important as it becomes ever more difficult to achieve, as I'm sure Sterling is lamenting right now. I can understand why none of the other owners of NBA teams has defended Sterling publicly. Voltaire would understand it, too. I'm also willing to bet those owners will be very cautious about defending Sterling in private.</p><p>I'm not sure how the Sterling/Silver affair will play out (no precious metal here), whether the Clipper owner will be forced to sell or not, or whether he can be fined for something he said in private or not. I don't agree with what he said, but I'm defending his right to say it. I don't want my private conversations scrutinized in public. I don't think anybody does.</p><p><b>Bruce Benson is a Canadian writer and journalist who makes Hendersonville his home. Reach him at bensonusa@hotmail.com.</p>